US vs Russia on Indian soil? Coinciding with Lavrov’s go to, Biden administration official to reach Delhi this week

By PTI

NEW DELHI: US Deputy National Security Adviser Daleep Singh, recognized to be a key architect of Washington’s punitive financial sanctions in opposition to Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine, is ready to journey to India this week coinciding with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s go to to New Delhi.

The preparations for the upcoming ‘2+2’ overseas and defence ministerial dialogue in Washington subsequent month are additionally more likely to determine throughout Singh’s go to.

The dialogue is more likely to happen round April 11.

People accustomed to the event stated on Tuesday that particulars of the proposed go to by the US official are being labored out and indicated that it’ll happen across the identical time when Lavrov is planning to go to India.

There is not any official phrase on the US Deputy NSA’s go to to India but.

It is learnt that Lavrov is more likely to arrive in India both on Thursday night or Friday morning after concluding a two-day journey to China.

Singh’s deliberate journey to India comes within the midst of a flurry of high-profile visits to the nation which included British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and German Foreign and Security Policy Advisor Jens Plotner.

While Truss will go to India on March 31, Plotner can pay a day-long journey to New Delhi on Wednesday, the folks cited above stated.

The British Foreign Secretary is ready to carry talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India.

EU Special Envoy for the Indo-Pacific Gabriele Visentin visited New Delhi this week.

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland and overseas ministers of Austria and Greece have been additionally in India final week.

Singh, the US Deputy National Security Advisor for worldwide economics, is ready to carry talks with senior Indian officers on a variety of points together with the Ukraine disaster.

The folks stated the preparations for the ‘2+2’ overseas and defence ministerial dialogue in Washington are additionally more likely to determine within the talks between the 2 sides throughout Singh’s go to to India.

External Affairs Minister Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will journey to Washington to carry talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The folks stated the Ukraine disaster is more likely to be the primary focus of the US official’s go to to India.

Unlike many different main powers, India has not but criticised Russia for its invasion of Ukraine and it abstained from the votes on the UN platforms in condemning the Russian aggression.

However, final Thursday, India abstained on a decision pushed by Russia on the humanitarian disaster in Ukraine, which was seen as reflective of its impartial place on the battle.

India has been urgent for the decision of the disaster by way of diplomacy and dialogue.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held cellphone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, March 2 and March 7.

Modi has spoken to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy twice.

Last week, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar stated in Parliament that India’s place on the Ukraine battle has been “steadfast and consistent” and that it has been in search of quick cessation of violence.